"Time is relative," Einstein discovered. So, too, is political time. But these two facts together cause many problems, as reflected in current debates over the seemingly simple question, "Are you better off than you were four years ago?"

Michelle Obama's speech can serve to wake us up from the "American Dream" to an American reality where talented Americans inspire us to materialize an America where respect for diversity and facts, supersede illusions put forth by out of touch politicians.

If you love cities, if you see them as the places where the promise of America, the ideal of citizenship highlighted by the president, can be fulfilled... you have one more reason to keep pushing for real change over the next four years.